The DASH Method (short for Direction, Acceleration, Strength, and Health) was designed to help people who write—whether it's technical writing, novelists, or bloggers—get things done faster and better, but the principles can be applied to almost any type of creative work. The end result is that you work smarter, and come away feeling better about what you do.

The four principles are fairly straight-forward. Direction implies that you always start work with your end-goal in mind and a plan for how you'll get there. Acceleration encourages you to remember that getting started is everything, and to keep working until you're finished. Don't get hung up on details, after all done is better than perfect. Strength is less about training, but about bolstering your mental and physical strength by building the right environment for you to work, whether it's a quiet space with no distractions or a buzzing space that makes you feel inspired. Finally, Health reminds you to take care of yourself, take breaks, and keep brainstorming so your creative juices are flowing.

All in all, the core tenets are things that ideally you work into your work routine already, but assembling them together into a package like this one may be just the reminder you need to apply them to every aspect of your work, whether you write for a living or not. Hit the link below for a much broader description of each point, along with some additional tips.